Brett Hanson decided to go the pro dealer route and purchased a lumberyard in 2011. A year later, the former builder bought the neighborhood hardware store in Sisseton, soon combining the businesses under one roof. “The ‘little hardware’ part of it just started growing, and we saw the community needed more,” Hanson said. Within a year, sales tripled at Tri State Building Center and have grown tenfold since. “We were contractors so we have an understanding how contractors our think,” Hanson explained. “That helps us when we communicate with customers.”

Founded by Vern Slettend and Art Johnson in 1965, new owner Gary Larson and his team are constantly adjusting their seasonal product in this Garrison All Star. When store manager Gerald Cain quips, “We’re the only game in town,” he’s not kidding. Garrison-based S&J is the lone hardware store in a town of 1,500 that doubles in size during the summer when visitors flock to Lake Sakakawea, located two miles from the store. S&J takes full advantage of the lake business with fishing, boating and camping gear. “We do everything under the sun here,” Cain said. That also means dressing the entire staff in Victorian garb for the Charles Dickens Village Festival that runs for three weekends following Thanksgiving.

Mound True Value is famous for its free popcorn, but that’s just the beginning for this 2017 True Value-designated Best Hardware Store in Town. “Customer service is obviously the big one,” said T.J. Skinner, manager of the 13,000-sq.-ft. store. “And we take pride in keeping everything neat and clean.” The clean machine is a purveyor of big brands and live events, such as its Garden Party, Holiday Open House, Kids Day and Ladies Night.

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See the full Class of 2018 Hardware All Stars — presented by Stihl — in the May issue of HBSDealer magazine.

Busy Beaver opens in Greenville

The second of five new Busy Beaver stores planned for 2018 opened this month in Greenville, Pa.

The new store, the Pittsburgh-based retailers 19th, features an expanded seasonal department, an indoor lumber yard, a farm and ranch department, and a designated contractor service center.

“We’re excited about our new store serving Greenville area homeowners, contractors, DIYers, farmers and all residents. During each visit, our customers are offered knowledgeable help and legendary customer service, so they are able to find what they need.” said Joe Kallen, chief executive officer, Busy Beaver.

The grand opening ceremony featured gift card giveaways, donations to Make-A-Wish Foundation, and store scavenger hunts, among other activities.

Busy Beaver opened a store in Grove City in March.

Busy Beaver operates 19 stores in three states Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

The company says it is committed to providing “legendary customer service and a customer-centric in-store experience at each of its neighborhood home improvement centers.”

“The Little Store That Could” is Boehs slogan — and for good reason. “In this day and age, you are going up against the big guys,” said Mahlon Boehs, co-owner and LBM manager. “That slogan came from the fact that our background is in construction, so we have the knowledge base. We can put that to good use in taking care of customers because we know what they’re up against.” With stores in Fairvew and Helena, the Boehs family has been involved in the construction industry since 1956, and entered the retail business in 2002.

Over the years, Metzger’s has earned a reputation as the place that carries unique housing stock for homes built during the Cold War era when Los Alamos provided government-issued housing. “We still have the plumbing fixtures that were really specific at the time but fell out of favor, or the window frame parts that you can’t find,” said David Jolly, general manager. “People are very appreciative of that.” When Metzger’s celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, virtually the entire town came out to honor this quintessential Main Street hardware store.

Budget Home Supply (formerly Budget Home Center) specializes in decking while serving nearly a 120-mile radius from its Longmont headquarters. “We cater to small remodelers and contractors — tradesmen,” said Sean Angelo, general manager. A few years ago, this Orgill customer decided to make decking a focus for sales. “We don’t focus on new starts or new builds,” Angelo explained. “The small contractor that runs a single crew is our primary customer, and decking fits right into our wheelhouse.”

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See the full Class of 2018 Hardware All Stars — presented by Stihl — in the May issue of HBSDealer magazine.

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